Fans and Battalion have sweet weekend rendezvous

TROOPS VISIT:

It had all the makings of the start of a beautiful friendship.
The Brampton, soon-to-be North Bay, Battalion visited their new hometown on Saturday with both players and fans looking forward to the team setting up permanently next fall.
“We’ve been told this is just a taste of what things are going to be like next season,” said Battalion assistant captain Zach Bell, a Brampton native, just before a practice was set to begin and fans were pouring through the doors of Memorial Gardens.
Bell says the widespread fan enthusiasm is something to look forward to.
“It’s no secret that in Brampton there has been attendance issues from the time the team came to the city,” said Bell. “If that’s just a taste I think North Bay is going to be a great place to play.”
The night before the Battalion dropped a close game to their suddenly new rivals, the Sudbury Wolves. More than 400 fans made the trip from North Bay to Sudbury to cheer for the camouflage jerseys.
First year player Mike Amadio, from Sault Ste Marie, said that the hometown crowd gave the Battalion a lift when they were down by multiple goals and pushed them to fight back to within one of clinching it.
“In Brampton if you score it’s kind of quiet,” said Amadio.
Amongst the North Bay contingent in Sudbury were friends Paul Sargent and Mike Cappodocia and they were impressed with the new squad.
“The guys came onto the bus and shook hands with us after the game. We really appreciated that,” said Sargent.
Both were season ticket holders when the Centennials were in North Bay and are thrilled to see the OHL return to the Gateway city.
“Watching these young guys get ready for the NHL is really exciting,” said Cappadocia.
Both, however, plan on remaining faithful to the North Bay Trappers Junior A team and the Nipissing University Lakers. They each showed up to the practice with Trappers jackets and Sargent sporting a Battalion t-shirt and Lakers hat.
“University hockey, now that’s fast hockey,” said Cappadocia.
That sort of enthusiasm is exactly what the Battalion players are looking forward to in their new home, though it is in the future.
“We’re still the Brampton Battalion so we’re going to do the best we can,” said Bell.
“I have a feeling that opening night we’re just going to tear the roof off of this place,” said Amadio. “I can’t wait.”